AIDS 2012 Conference Overview

1. AIDS 2012 Conference Overview By Waheedah Shabazz-El AIDS 2012 CPC Member U.S. Positive Women’s Network

2. AIDS 2012 Overview • July 22-27, 2012, Washington, DC • First time in US in over 22 years • Bi-annual conference • 20,000-30,000 attendees • Major media and policy event • Convened by International AIDS Society

4. “TURNING THE TIDE TOGETHER” Reflects a unique moment in time and captures the current sense of hope and the renewed optimism that we now have the potential to change the course of HIV/AIDS.

5. BIG QUESTIONS • Why is this conference important? • What do we have to gain from a robust participation of Americans? • How has the conference been leveraged in the past? • NOTE: The Vienna Declaration demanded a human rights approach to ending AIDS and insisted that drug users and sex workers have access to HIV prevention

6. U.S. Communications Key Messages • AIDS 2012 will be a crucial opportunity to re-energize the domestic response to AIDS. • The return of the International AIDS Conference to the U.S. is an important human rights victory

7. U.S. Communications Key Messages • We are at a pivotal moment in HIV science and AIDS 2012 is poised to play a critical role in the future direction of the AIDS epidemic • Scientific advances over the past year have altered the landscape of the AIDS epidemic. • AIDS 2012 will showcase the latest scientific developments and provide the crucial opportunity for mobilizing stakeholders and building momentum.

8. U.S. Communications Key Messages • Election Year: • AIDS 2012 will draw attention to the impact HIV is having in Washington, DC, and in racial and ethnic minority communities across the U.S. • Washington, DC is home to key players in the global response to AIDS.

9. U. U.S. Communications Key Messages • Benefits and challenges of treatment as prevention • Renewed momentum for an HIV cure • Effective scale-up of HIV treatment and prevention programs.

10. How Big AIDS 2012 Going to Be? • Statistics from 2010 • Over 20,000 participants including • 2,000 media • 1,800 youth/students/post-docs • 150 exhibition booths • 680 speakers • 800 scholarship recipients • 1,900 staff, organizers, volunteers • Over 190 countries represented

11. North Americans • Were the second largest represented group (22%) at the AIDS 2010 conference in Vienna, and largest at AIDS 2008 (50%) in Mexico City. • Demonstrating this is a population with significant and vested interest in the conference and latest news and methods to address the epidemic

12. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU GET THERE!

13. Daily Plenary Sessions • Plenary sessions will bring together all conference delegates at the first session of every morning. • The daily plenary sessions feature some the world’s most distinguished HIV scientists, policy specialists and community leaders.

14. Non-Abstract Driven Sessions • Symposia Sessions are 90 minutes and feature speakers and presentations which address a single, clearly defined critical issue. These sessions report on new findings and initiatives, and announce forthcoming research. • Bridging Sessions are either 90 minutes or 3 hours. Connect the three program components (Science, Community, Leadership & Accountability Through interactive formats, speakers share knowledge and perspectives on the particular issue selected. Speakers highlight linkages and synergies between different areas of expertise. • Special Sessions: These 60-minute lunchtime sessions are highly engaging for delegates. feature presentations by some of the world’s key research leaders, international AIDS Ambassadors and policy specialists.

15. (Science Tracks) Abstract Driven Sessions • Oral Abstract Sessionsare organized into themes which address new developments in each of the five scientific tracks. Each session includes a number of speakers who each make a brief presentation followed by a short discussion. Audience questions are encouraged and facilitated by the session chairs. • Oral Poster Discussion Sessions showcase a small number of the highest scoring posters in each track that have been selected to be presented orally during the poster viewing sessions. Presentations are three to five minutes each, and chaired in order to facilitate audience discussion. Posters are displayed for viewing for the duration of the conference. • Poster Exhibitionwill cover a wide variety of topics organized by the five scientific programme tracks. A different set of posters are displayed each day; presenters are at their posters at previously announced times to answer questions and provide further information on their study results.

16. The Global Village • Free- lively community space, open to the public. • Activities • Global Village panel discussions • Networking zones (Women’s Networking Zone) • Video lounge • Meeting rooms • Youth Pavilion & Youth PWLHA Lounge • NGO and Marketplace booths • Art exhibits • Community Dialogue Space

17. What can you find at the Global Village Around 280 activities including: • Awards • Daily live plenary broadcasts • Debates, Presentations, workshops • Marketplace booths • Networking Zones • NGO exhibition booths • Performances, Exhibits • Community Dialogue Space • Video Lounge • Cultural Activities

18. Key Dates & Deadlines

19. W WAYS TO GET INVOLVED PWN with BAI • Hosts monthly constituency outreach webinars • Join google-group aids2012mobilization@gmail.com

20. A Additional PWN Activities • Regular women’s mobilizing calls • Women’s mobilizing email list: join @ pwn@womenhiv.org • Supporting Women’s Networking Zone activities in Global Village • U.S. liaison to Make Women Count! Campaign • Expand involvement of sex workers and drug users in conference • Creating fundraising tool & trainings to get folks to conference

21. Thank You